Year of the Dragon

Happy Chinese New Year 新年快樂! Vancouver is city of great diversity, and those of Chinese heritage are busy preparing for the Chinese New Year. Our team at Blitzgear wishes all of our clients a happy and prosperous new year!


January 23rd, 2012 is the first day of the year 4709 of the Chinese calendar. The Chinese calendar 農曆 (also known as the traditional or agricultural calendar to the Chinese) is based on lunar cycle, unlike our Gregorian calendar (referred to as the common calendar by the Chinese) which is based on the solar cycle. China and some other Asian cultures use a lunisolar calendar, following the Gregorian calendar for day-to-day use but using the Chinese calendar to date traditional holidays, such as New Year’s Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Some Asians also refer to the Chinese calendar to determine wedding dates, opening of new businesses and the commencement of construction projects.

The Chinese calendar is a complex system, with the complete cycle of the Chinese calendar takes 60 years. It is a combination of yin and yang, the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and twelve years. Each of the twelve years is named after an animal. This new year will ring in the Year of the Dragon (Yang Water Dragon to be precise).

According to Chinese traditions, those born in the year of the dragon are free-spirited and like to play by their own rules. Dragons are also known as a symbol of fortune and great power.

Join the celebration by attending the Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown!